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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bank — for money
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — to fit
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. content — happy
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. suit — in cards
  13. last — finally
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. kick — in football
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bank — of a river
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. content — the amount
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — bread
  23. bank — for money
  24. last — to go on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com